Politis, Giannis

3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

Ta Nea - Greece | 08/02/2012

Giannis Politis on two German recipes for solving Greek crisis

Germany is divided over the Greek problem, columnist Giannis Politis concludes in the left-liberal daily Ta Nea, considering the mixed signals reaching Greece from Germany: "There are two Germanys and two recipes for saving Greece. The first we all know. It is advocated by Angela Merkel, her cronies in government and the banks. They treat us like protestant monks: first meting out harsh punishment and humiliations, then offering redemption. … But even the quasi-religious commitment with which the chancellor is pursuing her tough tactics has not borne fruit. Fortunately there is another Germany - that of Helmut Schmidt and his supporters, who are convinced of the European project. Together with important media, this Germany is calling for an end to the farce of the Greece rescue and proposes rebuilding the country with a new Mashall Plan instead. … It's obvious that the present leadership in Germany is not in possession of the only truth."

Greek mentality could thwart positive effects of help

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's promise to help Greece, although made without naming concrete figures, could become a problem for the Greeks, writes the left-liberal daily Ta Nea: "The country is not bankrupt and will continue to fulfil its obligations. But its salvation is a long way off because it owes 300 billion. The greatest danger is that we relax once more, which is second nature to us. This means the government wouldn't be able to immediately adopt the measures that should have been taken five years ago. People will say it's all just a fairytale, … that Greece will never die and we'll go back to watching the sunsets while eating our bowls of spaghetti with lobster washed down with a shot of ouzo."

Greek austerity measures hit the poor

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced new austerity measures on Wednesday. But they will primarily effect the lives of the country's poor, writes the daily Ta Nea: "We've all cottoned on by now. The only way forward is with a drastic austerity policy. ... But there are people behind the facts and figures. And we're not talking about those with money, those who are faring moderately well, but about those who have long been living under the poverty line. These roughly two million people ... await the upcoming elections with enormous trepidation. Huge upheavals await them as far as their plans for their families, work and studies go. ... Even young people's plans about whether or not to live together will change enormously. These people are owed an explanation. Perhaps even an apology."